Freshmen Shine in Georgia Tech's Spring Game

Redshirt freshman quarterback Synjyn Days rushed for 112 yards and scored two touchdowns to lead the Gold team to victory in Georgia Tech’s annual T-Day game on Saturday.

Days’ first score came on an 11-yard pass to B.J. Bostic to put the Gold up 7-0 in the first quarter. The second came on a goal-line dive in the third quarter, giving the Gold a 21-7 lead which held up as the game’s final score. 

“We’re excited about Synjyn,” said head coach Paul Johnson. “He’s still young and has some things to learn, but he’s athletic. He has some tools, and he likes to compete.”

Thousands of Tech fans, students and alumni came out to get an early look at the 2011 team. They were also treated to guest appearances by several former Yellow Jacket stars, including Joe Burns, Morgan Burnett, Jonathan Dwyer, Cord Howard, Derrick Morgan, Travares Tillman and Phillip Wheeler. Each played in the NFL last season, and all came out to support Coach Johnson and his current team.

The fans were excited about Days’ performance, but they had to be concerned over the struggles of his counterpart, junior quarterback Tevin Washington. He was pressured into five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumbles), and led the White team on a single scoring drive, which he finished off with a 15-yard rushing touchdown.

Johnson suggested that the offensive line was a larger concern, not his quarterback. “To say I’m concerned [with the O-line] is an understatement. The quarterbacks, for the most part, were running for their lives. For most of the spring Tevin’s done a good job. He did some questionable things today, but you have to judge the whole body of work.”

One of the players Washington was running from all day long was linebacker Quayshawn Nealy. The redshirt freshman led the Gold team with eight tackles, one sack, a fumble recovery and two passes broken up, including one that resulted in an interception.

“Quayshawn stepped up nicely today,” said defensive coordinator Al Groh. “He’s had a good spring. He can run. He’s got some skills, and he has play-making ability.”

Three different place kickers attempted field goals on the day, but all failed to convert. Senior running back Preston Lyons, who starred at Marist, led the White team with 11 carries for 50 yards, and junior Richard Watson had a 15-yard rushing touchdown for the Gold team. The team’s top returning rusher from last season, Roddy Jones, saw limited action. That was understandable given the physical nature of the game, and the fact that Jones is expected to be the focal point of the offense next fall.

Said Coach Johnson, “The best thing about the game is that we got out healthy. I don’t think we have anybody who had any kind of serious injury, and that’s what you always worry about [with] a spring game.”

The T-Day game concludes the team’s spring session, and they will resume practice in the fall. The Jackets open the 2011 season at home against Western Carolina on Thursday, September 1.